My Man/boy?? (not any more) has come home

I've got to admit, I was a little emotional today. My son VJ came home after being away for 13 months in Central Queensland. I was thinking it would be good to get a candid shot of him coming out of the door from the plane but of course I started crying so I just clicked this photo and ran into his arms! This time is short lived as in ten days he will be off to London. How the hell am I going to cope with that!!

Footy and Pizza

Salami, Mushroom, Shallot and Parmesan Pizza Prawn, Goats Cheese, Tomato and Rocket Pizza

Such a big sporting night tonight with the football. Of course we had to have footy food to celebrate.

Down by the Sea

Here it is!! My very first entry into Inkurable's Down by the Sea Challenge. I really enjoyed doing this as I really stepped outside my square and tried some new techniques. The background sky was sprayed with a Starburst Spray in the colour of Tibetan Poppy Teal, Sea Mint Green and an aqua spray that I mixed myself using Matisse paints and Matisse Iridescent liquid. Then I taped off the sky with masking tape and used some of the same colours for the sea. I then painted the rest of it with my favourite Matisse Paints. I painted in the clouds and used a sealer to paste the word dream onto the canvas. The scroll stamp underneath is a Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous from the Reindeer Flight collection. I stamped it in Versamark and embossed it with a light blue embossing powder. All in all, apart from the chair looking like its about to fall over I am quite happy with it.

Journals and Cards

Some of my creations thus far!

Don't stand still or I'll PAINT YA!!

Don't you just love it when the creative juices are flowing?? I have a few things on the go at the moment so you'll just have to be patient! The weekend has kicked off beautifully with me repossessing a desk that has been residing upstairs for a few years. Jess has been using it for her beading empire but now it's all mine. Ahhh the space. Stamping in one area and painting and mixed media in the other. I love it.

I won't bore you with the usual photos of today's market haul but suffice to say that some of my purchases included Mulberries! A mite expensive I agree but just you wait until you see what is to become of them. Oh Oh Oh I feel a crumble coming on. Included in this mornings trip is some beautiful Brie, a delicate cheese called a Chevre Pyramid (ah that takes me back) asparagus, oh and something really really special, Blue Swimmer Crab Ravioli. Have to get the good dinner set, candelabras and best silverware out for that one.


Fruits of my labour!

Seahorse second time round

Grrrrh... As you know I'm just new at this so after just accidently deleting and reposting all the photo's of the lovely Cedric the Seahorse I have decided to add the photos (fingers crossed!) in a new post. So here goes........

Seahorse

Well I have to admit I have had this little guy hanging around ever since Linda Baldock came to visit us. I hadn't quite finished him and wasn't sure what he needed. I came up with the idea of stamping around the edges. Sort of works don't you think?

I downloaded the design from the internet and used a palette knife and Matisse impasto medium to get the skeleton look. Painted inside the skeleton with Matisse paints and then went to work with the Moonglow sprays. Not really sure what colours were used as I borrowed them from Linda. I added different colours of fusible film for the seaweed and finally stamped around the edges with Stampin'Up Ocean Commotions stamp and Stazon.

Cedric as he is now known, is done on a piece of hard board and measures approx. 30cm x 48cm

Give Me Back My Week!

Okay where have they gone?? What have you done with them?? What happened to the rest of the week? After starting the week in the usual way I cruised into Thursday with the smugness of one who had plenty of time to do all those little jobs I had jotted down on my trusty clipboard. Its the way to go, making lists, especially since those moments of fuzzy, hazy vagueness seem to descent upon me more frequently these days. Friday was a big one with hubby and I taking a trip down to Newtown to park the car at Jess's and jumping on a train to Edgecliff to get our Visa's for Vietnam. Too easy. There and back in an hour. Then onto lunch at the Dumpling King and a quick tour of the shops and with Kev I mean quick. I had heard about this Button Shop so of course that was the priority. The girls in the shop let me take a photo but there was so many buttons I would have needed a wide angle lens, I tried my best but if you want to see more you'll have to go and see for yourself. The button shop was not the only treasure I found, but a hand made paper shop and a shop chock full of fantastic turkish plates. Unfortunately being dragged back to the car kicking and screaming is not a good look so I went placidly with the vow and promise to explore another day, hopefully, minus Kev.

I'm A Barista!!!! well nearly.

Last night I did a Barista's course in the first positive move towards working in hospitality. I didn't realize it was such a science. My instructor Russell was very patient and I don't think I have thrown away so many cuppucinos, flat white, lattes, and ristrettos (hehehe barista speak) in my life! I must of tipped about $100 worth of coffee down the sink. But it was all in the name of becoming the best barista on the coast. All I have to do now is convince someone to give me a job so I can practice.

Family And Farmers Markets

What's on offer
My Stash

I'm just lovin' the new Farmers Market at The Entrance. Just have to stop myself going into a frenzy. Now they are being held twice a month its getting a little easier. Thank goodness my dear hubby has embraced this bi-monthly excursion as it is a great way for us to have a mutual interest in food. I admit I do bribe him with Eggs Benny at our favourite cafe if he is good.

Me And Dee

This is the combination to a great weekend. My niece Dee and her son came to visit which is a great time for me as she is an illustrator and artist. Always a great source of inspiration! We were trying to be teenagers and take our photo like the kids do. Sort of didn't work out so we got Connor to take the photo. We didn't quite get the look.

Housework vs Art work

Guess who won? Thought I better share these little gift cards with you before I deliver them to Trin at her homewares shop. I have made a few of these now and as yet they have all been different. I only wish I had taken photo's of all the others.

Share What you Do

On a lighter note I thought I'd better share some of what I love doing. I have just taken possession of some of Tim Holtz stamps. This is what I came up with, of course I had a little bit of inspiration from 3 little love bugs over at Splitcoast. Done on Kraft and with Not Quite Navy (Stampin Up). The butterflies were embossed with Moon Glow Burgandy embossing powder.

This Boy/Man??

This is my son VJ. He has been away from home for a year today. We love him. But he's such hard work!! He went away to make his fortune. He is doing just that but he hasn't worked it out that to make it work you can't spend more than you earn. Maybe one day, just one day soon, it'll all make sense. Why do I constantly have that Coldplay song in my head that sings "the hardest part is letting go, not taking part." Is someone trying to tell me something?

Be gentle with me.

Today I gave blood. This isn't the most thrilling past time for me but its very satisfying and no I don't do it just for the lollies. Did you know that it took 150 donations of blood to help Glenn Orgias survive. Glenn was the surfer who was attacked by a shark at Bondi last summer. I just hate that sometimes I get a little faint but then I think of all those people who are worse off than me and I just feel a little silly.

Too much spare time?

Hello friends. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend as I did. Its always lovely to be amongst family and friends and I had the privilege to be in the company of both. I was down in Sydney the other week as Jess now lives close to the city and as we were walking through the park to catch a bus we came across this lovely sight. I think I read somewhere that there is a club that dedicate themselves to beautifying the city, does anyone know what they are called? What clever people they are. I'd like to ask "what happens if the tree gets hot?"